Gravity seminar - Liina Chung-Jukko Seminar

Abstract: Axion dark matter can form stable, self-gravitating objects called axion stars, which are made unstable above a critical mass by their coupling to electromagnetism. In this talk, using numerical relativity, I will demonstrate how two sub-critical axion stars can merge and form a more massive, excited, and critical star, which consequently decays through electromagnetic radiation. The whole process gives out a rich multimessenger signal including gravitational waves, electromagnetic radiation, and axion radiation, providing a new avenue for dark matter detection efforts.